As mobile devices such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants become more powerful and are provided with much better graphics, users of mobile devices are seeking to receive richer experiences from their devices. Where once simple telephone access and text messaging were enough, users now seek more features. Mobile devices, for example, can support web browsers that provide access for web browsing (albeit in a slightly reduced size from fixed, desktop computers), and to particular web sites designed for mobile view (e.g., authored in WML or xHTML).
However, mobile devices do not always lend themselves to the same uses as full-featured fixed devices such as desktop personal computers. For example, large images may be very helpful and beautiful on a large desktop display, but they are generally not useful on mobile devices because they lose their resolution or require extensive panning. In addition, many mobile devices do not have the same features as fixed systems, such as the ability to play Flash animations, handle JavaScript, or handle other newer technologies as they emerge. Mobile devices are also generally different with respect to inputting information. In particular, they generally do not have full keyboards, so that data input can be difficult (especially when lots of data needs to be entered). In addition, it is often necessary to operate mobile devices with a single hand, and sometimes using nothing more than a thumb for data input.
In addition, users typically have different needs with mobile devices than they do with devices at home or work. For example, mobile users are often looking for particular information that they need right away, and do not use their mobile devices for in depth research or lengthy web browsing, which a user may do more on a desktop PC. For convenience, the needs of mobile users may be classified into three groups for examination: the “daily now,” the “urgent now,” and the “bored now.” The daily now references repetitive queries, performed on a frequent and even daily basis, such as questions about weather, traffic, and stock prices. The urgent now references situations in which a user needs an answer right away, such as the need to get a telephone number, the location of a local business, or product prices for comparison purposes. The bored now describes a scenario in which a user needs to pass the time, such as by entertaining themselves with games, news, blogs, or browsing ring tones, while waiting at a café or for a train. It may be helpful to provide such users with devices and services that address these and similar situations, and also helpful to let such users be served well on their desktop machines and their mobile devices.